Cheers to the Very Best of the Best: a dedication to the loves of my life.
On this day of celebrating fathers, my heart is split in two. Split because I am grateful and fortunate enough to celebrate two amazing men in my life who epitomized what being a Father really embodied. Split because my heart is torn in two with the fact that both of these incredible humans are no longer with us here on earth. I miss them both immensely.
My Dad, my hero, the man who loved me first so unconditionally. Wow, do I ever miss his presence, his wisdom, his genuine welcoming smile, and that soft place to land when life feels hard. He listened without judgment. He loved life. He loved to laugh, whether it was a good joke or at himself. He loved his kids and his grandkids in such a big and bold way. Never missed a baseball game or soccer match for those grandkids if he could help it. When I was a child he was my pure joy at the end of a long day of school. He had a nickname for me, “umpers-gumpers”...I can’t explain it so please don’t ask, lol. To this day I can hear his bellowing “how ya doing umpers-gumpers?” with a smile and a love that took up my whole heart. As I entered adulthood, we shared the bond of being educators. He was a well-respected administrator and I was a school counselor (which, in large part, happened through his loving patience and guidance). Dad would be there to offer words of encouragement or thoughtful advice when I had any kind of particularly challenging work scenario. He could put just about any difficult situation in perspective and often said, “tomorrow is another day, a fresh start.”. My dad gave me my love of travel. Every Easter for as long as I can remember, we piled in the car, suitcases stacked and coolers packed and headed to Jekyll Island, GA. In our younger days we camped in Maine, Nova Scotia, and other East Coast destinations. Our family made Sherkston Shores our summer home for 40 years. We all loved the beach, the sun, and the many beautiful life-long friendships we made there. In his retirement Dad and mom became snow-birds to Hawaii. For twenty years they made this trip and made it their home away from home with a cadre of friends and incredible adventures. To this day, when I plan a trip of any kind, I can feel his excitement for an adventure within me. Anyone who knows me, knows my love of walking. If you can’t find me, it is likely I am taking a long, mind-clearing walk. This is my father’s influence as well. He was a great role model in walking for both the exercise and the mind-dump. As he grew older and less able to walk distances, I would walk with him around the parking lot of their apartment complex, his walker leading the way. Oh, how I admired this determination and dedication to knowing what was good for both his body and soul.
My husband, the father of my two kids, often reminded me a lot of my own dad. That old adage about women marrying their fathers probably held pretty true in my case. Greg loved, loved, loved being a dad! He took the role seriously and always with a whole lot of fun sprinkled in. There were few things I enjoyed more than watching him teach one of the kids how to swing a bat or patiently help them with their math homework. For a few years Greg embraced the role of stay at home dad at a time when stay at home dads were not quite a real thing yet. And he loved every single minute. I simply can’t say enough about his patience as a father. Our kids will tell you that if Dad was mad it had to be serious because he simply didn’t do mad very often. Greg told a great bedtime story, let me tell ya. I often wished he had had the gumption to put the stories into a book. He was so creative and fully in character as he told these tales and the kids were spellbound. We will forever remember Lady Cratchet and the Garbage Scow (sorry, you had to be there). This man NEVER missed an opportunity to brag about his kids. He coached their teams, cheered them on in their music, and simply beamed with pride at every turn. I learned patience and humility in parenting from my sweet husband. There are days I now will think to myself, “what would Greg do?” I miss him beyond words and find myself often talking to him about our adult children’s latest adventures, accomplishments and challenges. Oh, my heart.
I am forever grateful to have been gifted these two incredible men in my life. Today, my kids and I will grill some steaks, enjoy some ice cream and toast the loves of our lives with a gin and tonic all in honor of their Dad and my father. Gone but never forgotten. ❤️😇
